The ISO/IEC 27000-series (also known as the 'ISMS Family of Standards' or 'ISO27k' for short) comprises information security standards published jointly by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

The series provides best practice recommendations on information security management, risks and controls within the context of an overall Information Security Management System (ISMS), similar in design to management systems for quality assurance (the ISO 9000 series) and environmental protection (the ISO 14000 series).

The series is deliberately broad in scope, covering more than just privacy, confidentiality and IT or technical security issues. It is applicable to organizations of all shapes and sizes. All organizations are encouraged to assess their information security risks, and then implement appropriate information security controls according to their needs, using the guidance and suggestions where relevant. Given the dynamic nature of information security, the ISMS concept incorporates continuous feedback and improvement activities, summarized by Deming's "plan-do-check-act" approach, that seek to address changes in the threats, vulnerabilities or impacts of information security incidents.

The standards are the product of ISO/IEC JTC1 (Joint Technical Committee 1) SC27 (Sub Committee 27), an international body that meets in person twice a year.

At present, six of the standards in the series are publicly available while several more are under development.

ISO/IEC 27033 - IT network security, a multi-part standard based on ISO/IEC 18028:2006

ISO/IEC 27034 - a guideline for application security

Why adopt the ISO 27000 series?

ISO/IEC 27002, which is a "Code of practice" that can be used to build a comprehensive and robust information security program, however ISO 27001:2005 is a certifiable standard, intended to provide the foundation for third-party audit, and is "harmonized" with other management standards such as ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 14001 (environmental management). In other words, an Information Security Management System (ISMS) developed for ISO 27001 certification can be integrated with existing management systems, within the organization.

Unlike other existing security-related certifications such as SAS 70 and WebTrust, ISO 27001:2005 certification is much more comprehensive, and specifically focused on Information security management.

ISO 27001 certification enables organizations to clearly demonstrate that their IS programs are not only effective, but also regularly reviewed and updated based on the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) process model, covering performance, effectiveness monitoring and review, and continual improvement.

Some of the benefits of pursuing certification to ISO 27001:2005 include:

Certification allows organizations to mitigate the risk of IS breaches

Certification allows organizations to mitigate the impact of Information security breaches when they do occur

In the event of a security breach, certification should reduce the penalty imposed by regulators, since the organization's security and record-handling procedures will be seen as following internationally accepted best practices

Certification allows organizations to demonstrate due diligence and due care to shareholders, customers and business partners, through strategic thinking

Certification allows organizations to demonstrate proactive compliance to legal, regulatory and contractual requirements, as opposed to taking a reactive approach